How Can You Avoid A Burnout?

Ally Feiam12/10/2017

Have you ever felt the following things when you think about work; having trouble sleeping at night; low energy; a sense of negativity when you think about going to work; irritability towards your co-workers or wanting to straight up quit your job? If you answered yes to these, you may be about to encounter yourself burning out. Here are some ways you can avoid a burnout, thanks to these wellness and career experts.

“What you focus on will give it energy - focus on what you want, rather than what you don’t. In a world where we use so much energy in survival mode, if we used the very same energy that we have used procrastinating, being angry or sad. We would have renewed energy and inspiration to navigate our way to living a happier and healthier life.” Find out more about Bend Like Bamboo by following them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

MyDeal Pro Tip:Get more sleep. If you don’t sleep enough, surprise surprise, you’re going to end up a stress head. Sleep is a crucial factor in maintaining good mental health. There are always reasons why your sleep (or lack thereof) may be affecting your mood. You can be getting too little sleep, which is extremely common, and extremely dangerous to your health. Did you know that between 33% and 45% of Australians suffer from sleep deprivation? Read here more about sleep deprivation and its effect on the body. You may be getting the right amount of hours of sleep, but you may be still waking up grumpy, or with a sore neck and headache. In this case, you may need to take a look at your mattress. Getting a new mattress is expensive, so if you need a quick fix for sleeping problems, get a bamboo mattress topper from MyDeal. They add an extra layer of comfort to you when you sleep, and there are heaps of options you can choose from to align with any injuries or comfort level.

“In my experience, feelings of burnout occur when people overextend themselves in some way. Learn how to say 'no' respectfully, yet forcefully. It will keep both yourself and your schedule balanced. Also, try to minimize your distractions. If you are always being interrupted, you will feel as though you can never get anything done. Both of these suggestions can reduce your feelings of burnout and make you feel much more accomplished.” Find out more about 9 to 5 Project by following them on Facebook and Instagram.

MyDeal Pro Tip:Make your bed in the morning. Hear me out, here. If you make your bed in the morning, you’ve achieved the first task for the day. It’s small, but you have put your mind on the topic of getting stuff done. If you have huge deadlines, and you’re known to procrastinate, chances are that you’re going to let the task sit there, which makes a small problem become a large one. If you focus on achieving small sections of the overall goal at a time, you’ll be far more likely to finish the task at hand, rather than just leaving it to become more difficult to achieve. Even achieving the smallest tasks in the day can add up to be large tasks being completed. So, wake up in the morning and make your bed; there’s nothing nicer than the feeling of accomplishment when you first wake up, and there’s nothing better than seeing a stylish duvet cover welcoming you home after a long day.

“When you're working under a lot of pressure you need to learn to read your body for signs of stress and develop techniques to calm you down when you to begin to feel them. I have three techniques which serve me well. Listening to my breathing. If it is shallow and rapid, which is a sure sign of acute stress, I will start taking a few slow, deep breaths all the while telling myself to relax. The act of taking those slow, deep breath has a soothing effect and gives you inner focus. It’s what elite athletes do before launching into a race - they're getting an inner focus and marshalling their strength. Walking is the other technique. It’s not only good exercise, it’s good for the physiology of the body, cheers you up and relaxes you? Watching my diet is another important part of staying strong. Don't overeat and don't starve yourself. Avoid junk food. Tune your body with a diet that is high in vegetables, fruits, grains and lean protein.

My days are often long and hectic, dealing with people at all levels inside and outside my business. I need to have a lot of nervous energy to keep going. I love my life, so it's easy to overdo things. But, again by listening to my body, I know when I have to recharge my batteries. When I get that feeling, I'll work my schedule so I can take a morning off to sleep in, get a couple of hours extra sleep. Then I'll have a massage, listen to music, read something interesting, make a few phone calls to friends, maybe go out to lunch with someone who is amusing, relaxing company and check by the office in the early afternoon. I do these things because it is important to have balance in your life. You must have a life away from work, otherwise, you will burn out. When you are buried neck deep in a business, glued to a fixed routine, it's virtually impossible to step back and take an objective view. So I take a sabbatical every year and come back refreshed and empowered by new knowledge and the wider vision I have acquired. For your own good, for the good of your business, it's just as important to know when to let go as it is to know when to hold on. If you think your business will fail unless you are there at all times, you haven't created a business, you have built yourself a prison.” Find out more about Sarina Russo by following her on Facebook.

“The easiest way to avoid burnout is by either following a structured program. Ideally, this would be from someone with knowledge in the field of sports and exercise programming, but as a minimum, you should be at least writing down what you intend to do at the start of each week. Everyone is always very keen to go hell for leather for the first 3 days when they are motivated, which usually fades very quickly when they become tired, sore and less motivated. I find having a written out plan forces you to stick to the plan and maintain structure.” Find out more about Body By Brando by following him on Facebook and Instagram.

You can always re-light a flame that is being burnt out, you just have to make sure you take care of yourself, set realistic goals and try to tell yourself positive affirmations. We all burn out a little, but when you notice the symptoms of a burnout, try and relight the flame, rather than letting yourself become extinguished.